Ticket-printing machine.



T. M., VAUGHAN.

' TICKET PRINTING MAUHINE.

LPN-NATION TILED MAR. 27, 1009.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

Maine ,4

THOMAS M. VAUGHAN, OF DETROIT,

PRINTING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION To all whom 'it may concern:

'ets in places of platen H. These rotary UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO BOX OFFICE'TICKET OF ILLINOIS.

TICKET-PRINTING- MACHINE.

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. VAUGHAN,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Detroit, in the county of WVayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certa n new and useful Im rovements in Ticket-PrintingMachlnes, 0

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction of machineparticularly adapted for the printing of admission tickamusement and forsimilar purposes.

To this end the invention consists in various features of constructionas hereinafter set forth by which I obtain a small, compact constructionof machine capable of being conveniently placed in a ticket sellingbooth and adapted to print the tickets successively as rapidly asneeded, and to keep an accurate tally of the number printed.

In the drawings-Figure l is an elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section through a portion of the mechanism; Fig. 3 is across section; and Fig. 4 is an end elevation.

A is a suitable frame mounted upon a base plate B.

O is a rolled paper strip mounted upon the upper portion of the frame,and D is a horizontally-arranged guideway along which the strip is fed.Adjacent to this guideway are arranged the feed rolls E and F, theprinting cylinder G, and the rotary parts are all driven in timedrelation to each other by suitable gearing and, as shown, the drivingpower is furnlshed by a small electric motor I upon the base. A Wormshaft J is directly driven from the motor shaft and operates a worm gearK upon the shaft of the platen H. From the platen motion is communicatedto the printing cylinder b intermeshing gears L L and the feed roll isdriven from the gear L through the gear Wheel L and intermediate gear L.

The type or printing face is preferably formed of rubber, which ismounted upon a segment of the drum G, as indicated at G.

cut-ofl for the paper strip is arranged adjacent the rear end of thissegment prefer- ,ablycomprising a knife M and a cooperat- Speeificationof Letters Patent. Application filed March 27, 1909.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910. Serial No. 486,270.

ing plate N-one being arranged upon the platen and the other upon theprinting drum. The arrangement is such that at the completion of theprinting the strip will be severed just in rear of the printed portion,permitting the severed part to drop from the machine.

To feed just the right length of aper for each of the tickets, the feedroll ii is provided with a raised segment E of a peripheral length equalto the ticket. This segment is arranged to engage with the strip at thesame time that the type surface comes into engagement therewith and todisengage the strip at the time of cut-off. Thus the strip is fedintermittently and is drawn from the reel as required.

The guide D is preferably provided with grooved ways D the strip whichproperly aline it with the printing roll and platen. There is alsoprovided a finger 0 carried by the roll G which presses down the end ofthe paper strip into contact with the platen andpre-,

vents it from fouling with the type segment. This finger or guide, asillustrated, is formed by a U-shaped piece of spring wire clamped to thecylinder G and having its ends overlapping the edge of the rubber typeG.

It is very important that the machine should be under the absolutecontrol of the operator so as to print just the number of ticketsrequired and no more. I have therefor the opposite edges of foreprovided a clutch in the drive mech- Q anism which disengagesautomatically after each complete operation, but which may be tripped bythe depression of a control lever. As illustrated, the clutch P isarranged in the worm gear K, but is not shown in detail as it may be ofany suitable construction. A projecting finger P carried by the drivenmember of the clutch is adapted to engage with a trip lever Q fulcrumedupon the standard Q on the frame and when thus engaged the clutch isunclamped, permitting the motor to run freely without 1mparting anymovement to the printing mechanism. The lever Q is operated by a fingerlever R through the medium of a link R, and the arrangement is such thata depression of the lever R will withdraw the trip lever Q and permitthe automatic engagement of the clutch. The inertia of the moving partsof the mechanism is checked upon the disengagement of the clutch by asuitable friction brake which, as indicated at S,

washer is preferably formed of leather or similar material and acts as acoupler by the engagement therewith of the pins T T projectingoppositely from disks 1 and J on the motor shaft and worm shaftrespectively. The motor is controlled by an elec tric switch U mountedupon the frame preferably at the rear thereof.

For inking the type, a felt roll or other suitable inker, V is arrangedto contact with the type surface during each revolution of the roll Gr.WV is a stripper for disengaging the printed ticket from the surface ofthe type.

- In operation, the machine may be placed within easy reach of theoperator in a ticket-- selling booth, and where the motor is em ployedis suitably connected with a source of current. Whenever the switch isclosed the motor will be set in operation but the printing mechanismwill not be operated until the lever R is depressed. If a single ticketis required the lever R is depressed and permitted to immediately assumeits normal position. This will cause the coupling of the clutch in onecomplete revolution thereof, after which the finger P engaging with thelever Q, will again release the clutch. On the other hand, if a numberof tickets are required the lever B may be held depressed until thedesired number has been printed and cut ofl.

To keep an accurate tally of the number of tickets issued, a register isplaced upon the machine and, as shown, is mounted on one side of theframe thereof. This register X is driven by the intermeshing gears Yfrom the platen shaft and tallies every rotation of the platen. Thus nomore tickets are issued than are actually sold or used, and at any timethe number issued may be instantly known by inspection of the register.

For certain uses, it is desirable to print the date upon the ticket,which is otherewise just the same at all times. This may be accomplishedby the insertion of exchangeable type Z in the type-form G.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A ticket printing machine, comprising a frame, a holder for a roll orpaper strip thereon, a rotary printing cylinder and a rotary platenjournaled in said frame, a horizontally arranged guide for directing theopposite edges of said paper strip between "for said paper zontal planeas said prmtmg cyllnder, havsaid cylinder and platen, a rotary feed rollhaving a segment for advancing the paper strip along said guide, and aknife and 00- operating bearing carried the one by said platen and theother by said rotary cylinder.

2. A ticket printing machine comprising a rotary printing cylinder and arotary platen, a guide for directing a paper strip therebetween, a feedroll for advancing the paper strip along said guide, a type form upon asegment of said cylinder, a knife for severing the paper strip at theend of said segment, and meansfor guiding the end of the severed stripinto engagement with the opposite end of said type form, for the purposedescribed.

3. A ticket printing machine, comprising a rotary printing cylinder anda rotary platen, a type-form upon said cylinder and projecting beyondthe periphery thereof, means for guiding a paper strip between saidcylinder and platen, a knife and 00-- operating bearing carried the oneby the platen and the other by the printing cylinder, and arranged toregister at one end of said type-form segment, and a feed roll for saidpaper strip having a projecting segment corresponding in length to thetype segment on said cylinder.

4. A ticket printing machine, comprising a rotary printing cylinder anda rotary platen, a type-form upon said cylinder and projecting beyondthe periphery thereof, a knife and cooperating bearing, carried the oneby the platen and the other by the printing cylinder, and arranged toregister at one end of said type-form segment, a feed roll strip lyingin the same horiing a projecting segment corresponding in length to thetype segment on said cylinder, and a horizontal table for guiding saidstrip between said feed roll and said printing cylinder.

5. A ticket printing machine, comprising a rotary printing cylinder anda rotary platen, a type-form upon said cylinder and projecting beyondthe periphery thereof, a knife and cooperating bearing, carried the oneby the platen and the other by the printing cylinder, and arranged toregister at one end of said type-form segment, a feed roll for saidpaper strip lying in the same horizontal plane as said printingcylinder, having a projecting segment on said cylinder, a horizontaltable for guiding said strip between said inder, and a second feed rollpositioned below said table, extending upward therethrough andcooperating with the segment. on said first-mentioned feed roll.

6. In a ticket printing machine, a rotary printing cylinder and a rotaryplaten, a type-form upon a segment of said cylinder, and means carriedby said cylinder for holdfeed roll and said printing cyling the end ofthe strip fed to said printing cylinder out of engagement with saidsegment.

- 7. In a ticket printing machine, a rotary printing cylinder and arotary platen, a type-form upon a segment of said cylinder and meanscarried by said printing cylin der positioned adjacent to one end ofsaid segment, for holding the incoming end of the strip fed to theprinting cylinder out of engagement with said segment.

8. A ticket printing machine comprising a base, a continuously operatingelectric motor mounted thereon, an upright frame upon said base, arotary printing cylinder, a rotary platen and a segmental rotary feedroll journaled respectively upon shafts on said upright frame, a trainof gears for driving said cylinder, platen and roll, in timed rela tionto each other, a clutch between said motor and driven mechanism normallyconnecting the same, a tripping device for automatically disconnectingthe motor and driven mechanism after each cycle of the operation, andmeans for manually holding said tripping device in non-operativeposition for maintaining the motor and printing mechanism in drive,substantially as described.

9. In a ticket printing machine, printing cylinder and a rotarytype-form upon a segmentof said a rotary platen, a cylinder,

, a segmental feed-roll for advancing a paper strip toward the rotaryprinting cylinder an amount equal to the length of the ticket, saidrotary printin cylinder, rotary platen and segmental fee -roll beingdriven in timed relation by means of gearing, means for sev ering thestrip adjacent the inner end of the segment, and a finger for holdingthe end of the strip out of engagement with said segment.

10. In a ticket printing machine, a rotary printing cylinder and arotary platen, a type-form upon a segment of said cylinder, means forfeeding a paper strip to said printing cylinder, means carried by saidcylinder for holding the end of the strip fed to said printing cylinderout of engagement with said segment, a continuously operatin electricmotor and a clutch for driving said rotary printing cylinder and rotaryplaten, normally connecting the same with the motor, a tripping devicefor automatically disconnecting the motor and driven mechanism aftereach cycle of the operation,and means for manually holding said trippingdevice in non-operative position for maintaining the motor and printinmechanism in drive, substantially as described.

11. A ticket printing machine, comprising a rotary printing cylinder anda rotary platen, a type-form upon said cylinder and projecting beyondthe periphery thereof, a knife and cooperating bearing carried, the oneby the platen and the other by the printin cylinder, and arranged toregister at one one of said type-form segment, a feed roll for saidpaper strip having a projecting segment on said roll, a table forguiding said strip between said feed roll and said printing cylinder,and a second feed roll positioned to co-act with the segment on thefirst mentioned feed roll, substantially as described.

12. In a ticket printing machine, a rotary printing cylinder and arotary platen, a type-form upon a segment of said cylinder andprojecting beyond the periphery thereof, means for guiding a paper stripbetween said cylinder and platen, a feed roll for said paper striphaving a projecting segment corres endin in length to the type segmenton said cylinder, a continuously operating electric motor and a clutchfor transmitting rotation to the rotary printing cylinder and feed roll,automatic means for disengaging said clutch, and manually operativemeans for throwing said automatic means into nonoperative position forcontinuously driving said mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS 1 M. VAUGHAN.

Witnesses:

W. J. BELKNAP, N. KINsELLA.

